Understanding Persecution

Sources of Persecution

Marxism

In communist countries like Cuba, China, Vietnam, Laos, and North Korea, Christians are targeted because they vest their faith in the Lord and not the Marxist regimes.

Islam

Fundamentalist Islam is very intolerant toward other faiths, and in radical Muslim countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Indonesia, Christians suffer greatly. This ranges from job discrimination to the abduction, rape, and forced conversion of Christian women. Persecution is most violent in these countries and often includes the imprisonment and murder of Christians.

Cultural

Christian persecution also occurs as a result of social and cultural discrimination. Human beings in general are afraid and intolerant of that which is different. In places like India, Christians are discriminated against, denied employment, physically attacked, and sometimes even murdered.

Saving the Next Generation

Radical Islamic militant groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani militants have decimated Christian communities throughout northern Nigeria. In the last 17 years, 35,000 to 60,000 Christians have been murdered by these groups, while another 2 million people have been displaced.

Saving the Next Generation

Massive numbers of Christians have been forced out of their homes in the North, many escaping with just the clothes on their backs and now living in refugee camps. The humanitarian crisis and exile severely disrupted, if not entirely eliminated, educational opportunities for children and young adults. Without intervention, an entire generation of young minds have almost completely lost access to education and are growing up illiterate.

To address this need, ICC opened a school in a Jos refugee camp in 2016. Over 130 displaced children have already began their studies at our School in Bukuru, Jos. With trained teachers, learning materials and furniture, ICC aims to save as many persecuted kids as we can in Nigeria.

Types of Persecution

Direct

Arrests Imprisonment / Torture

Assassination Martyrdom

Attacks on Life & Property

Restrictions on Churches & Bibles

Forced Conversion

Crimes Against Women

Indirect

Educational Discrimination

Job Discrimination

Denial of Rights

Legal Restrictions

Surviving Genocide

ISIS has viciously attacked Christians throughout Iraq, displacing more than 100,000 Christians. ISIS militants executed many Christian men during their raids and kidnapped women and young girls and forced them into sexual slavery. ISIS offered three choices to those who survived or were spared: convert to Islam, leave, or remain and pay a tax to live. Many families chose to leave.

Surviving Genocide

Displaced Iraqi families struggle daily to access food and adequate housing, often left with no choice but to live in tents. Surrounding churches have assisted hundreds, but have been unable to match the extensive demands. Food, clothing, bedding, and basic necessities are in scarce supply. Homeless, abandoned, and without future prospects of security, displaced Iraqis live in a state of desperation.

ICC was on the ground in Iraq in August 2014, one month after ISIS came to the world stage, and we have been providing assistance ever since. ICC has provided for the most basic needs such as food, water, clothes, housing (tents and small houses), and even small businesses. ICC’s efforts have helped restore homes, rebuild communities, and grant security to families that lost everything. Today, we continue to be the helping hands for Christians in Iraq.

Spreading the Word

Social Media: 900,000+ followers

ICC utilizes Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to create communities of believers who will pray and raise awareness for the persecuted.

Weekly Persecution Updates

Our weekly Persecution Digest emails will keep you updated on ICC news stories, prayer needs, and the status of projects.

Free Monthly Magazine, Persecution

There is nothing like our free monthly magazine on persecution that brings you news, articles, testimonials, and stories about the persecuted Church.

Social Boycotts

Indian Christians have experienced a massive outpouring of cultural persecution.

Social Boycotts

In southern India, many communities rely on fishing for a sustainable living. Collective fishing is a common practice, which requires village members to share boats. Unfortunately, Hindus have denied Christians access to these communal village boats. This social boycott has left thousands of Christians in crisis, and deprived them of their sole source of income. Often, borrowing money is the only way Christian families can survive, putting them at risk of poverty or falling into crippling debt with “mafia” figures.

Where It’s Happening

Ending Generational Persecution

Most people think persecution is only when a pastor is killed or imprisoned. Actually, persecution is a very systematic and multi-dimensional problem that involves generational poverty, massive educational deficits, job discrimination, denial of basic legal rights, lack of access to legal aid, etc.

Ending Generational Persecution

These issues don’t capture headlines the way an imprisoned pastor or a church bombing does, but they are core to the persecution story and have devastating effects on entire Christian populations.

In Egypt, Christians have been discriminated against and persecuted for generations. They have been degraded to the lowest levels of society, both politically and economically. Christians are relegated to sub-standard ghettos with terrible public schools and inferior facilities, where they are harassed, excluded, and dehumanized. Egyptian Christians often abandon school altogether, putting themselves at a social and economic disadvantage.